New build, not my first rodeo

[gadgeteer99]

Thanks again to everyone that helped me with the DDR2/3 thing, I've decided on DDR3...Here's the setup I'm looking at:

Optical - Typical Lite-on

Case - Raidmax SMILODON

HD - WD Caviar Black

Monitor - Acer 22"

Graphics - Sapphire 4870, 512mb

Power - Antec 650w

Ram - Corsair DDR3 3x1gb, 1333

Motherboard - MSI X58 Pro

Processor - Intel Core i7 920


...Or, an AMD setup

Motherboard - Asus M4A79 Deluxe

Processor - AMD Phenom II X4 940

The i7 seems to be so much more powerful I dont even know if I should consider the AMD setup.

[tomtoon]

What's your budget?
Also, do you have a 64-bit OS already, because you will need that to use all the RAM

[gadgeteer99]

budget is ~$1000 and I do already have Vista 64-bit.

Also, I plan on putting another 4870 in it eventually.

[tomtoon]

The build looks good to me, but obviously if you put another 4870 in later, you will need to upgrade the power supply..

I think it would be better to buy 6GB of RAM, like this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820227365

[Masaki 7-11]

If you are looking to get the best performance in terms of processing, the Core i7 is the better choice; however if you mostly want to use this computer for gaming, it would end up costing you about $200 less for an AMD build which would have similar gaming performance. If going with AMD, you don't need to get such an expensive motherboard; this would be a lot more cost effective, has similar performance and crossfire support: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813128387

[chuck4456]

I'd just invest in a straightforward system on a current platform that is tried and true and will easily be supported thru 2010. That will give you plenty of time to assess what is going to last, what's in store, and the cost trends.
CORE i7 is a lot of money for what you actually get. It's a fad right now. It hasn't been around long enough to provide substantial track records. Socket 1156 platforms will be out this fall but INTEL already has plans for 3 generations of them right out of the gate so there is probably going to be hardware compatibility issues thru all stages of that, and surprise changes.

This is what I thought about.
CPU
COOLER
I've used a couple of these. They are great on dual cores. Kind of plain but they will do the job. If you want mega air cooling go THEMALRIGHT but you won't need that unless you plan on pounding some serious voltage into that CPU.
MOTHERBOARD
MEMORY
VIDEO CARD
Just bought the TOXIC version today.
HARD DRIVE (S)
GLC says these are good - already ordered a couple for myself.
POWER SUPPLY
Most solid PSU made IMO. The 750s are also solid. CORSAIR has some good units.
I'd leave ANTEC alone when it comes to powering an HD4870.

Don't know if I left anything critical out - this is just core hardware anyway.

[gadgeteer99]

Originally Posted by tomtoon The build looks good to me, but obviously if you put another 4870 in later, you will need to upgrade the power supply..

A 650w cant handle two 4870s? Maybe a 750w? And I've been looking, I think Corsair is the way to go...kinda dead when I made that last build

I think I've decided on the Phenom II 940...The e8400 is great, but my last build was Intel and I think it would be nice to switch it up. Plus, Passmark has the Phenom at 3,808 whilst the e8400 is at 2,135...a nice ~40% boost in power for $50.

So, lets take a look at where my build is at now

CPU - Phenom II 940

Power - Corsair 750w

Motherboard - Gigabyte

Ram - G.Skill

HD - WD Caviar Black - 640gig

Thanks for the link to that motherboard, definitely saving some money there. Haha, totally had that Ram picked out before I even clicked on your link.

Everything else is staying the same...Anyone find anything to improve in this setup?

Edit: Oh, and there's a 640gb version of that harddrive for exactly the same price (thanks Chuck) so that was changed as well.

Edit #2: Damn, forgot to add the Power Supply to my cart...so it comes out just over $1000...ah well, still found a nice keyboard and mouse for cheap that I'm gonna get anyways.

[glc]

It's not the wattage that matters for Crossfire - it's the certification for the card pair. There is a chart of certified units on ATI's website.

http://game.amd.com/us-en/crossfirex...nents.aspx?p=3

The EA650 is only certified for one HD4870, the TX750 is certified for 2.

[gadgeteer99]

Originally Posted by glc It's not the wattage that matters for Crossfire - it's the certification for the card pair. There is a chart of certified units on ATI's website. http://game.amd.com/us-en/crossfirex...nents.aspx?p=3 The EA650 is only certified for one HD4870, the TX750 is certified for 2.

ahh, got it. alrighty, thanks for all the help...I'll be posting pictures when I get this puppy set up.

[Khalil]

I am glad you decided to go with the AMD 940, that is what I am using on my gaming rig and I am completely satisfied with it's performance, in my opinion it is the best processor on the market dollar for dollar.
The video card Chuck recommended is awesome and I highly recommend it.

[gadgeteer99]

Originally Posted by Khalil I am glad you decided to go with the AMD 940, that is what I am using on my gaming rig and I am completely satisfied with it's performance, in my opinion it is the best processor on the market dollar for dollar. The video card Chuck recommended is awesome and I highly recommend it.

Yah, forgot to mention I decided to go with the 1gb version.